Automobile doorlatch operator



June 25, 1935. w. B. CRAFT 2,006,129

AUTOMOBILE DOORLATCH OPERATOR Filed May 9, 19515r Patented June 25, 1935 welter n. craft. Tyler, Tex., einer er enev man te omenee M. smith, Tyler, Tex.

Appueauemay s, i933, serial Ne. 6111.173

4 claims. (c1. 29e-11s) This invention relates to door latch operating means and pertains particularly to an improved handle structure or operator for the latch or bolt of a motor vehicle door.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a. bolt operator or handle for a motor vehicle door latch which is flush with the face of the door so that the danger of breaking the handle by striking it against some outside object, or of catching the clothing therein, is avoided.'

Another object of the invention is to provide a motor vehicle latch bolt operating handle which is set in flush with the face of the door in which the latch is mounted so that the contour or stream line eiect of the vehicle body remains unbroken.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the description of the same proceeds and the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawing but may be changed or modied so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawing:-

Figure 1 is a View in horizontal section through a portion' of a motor vehicle door and through the latch structure and operating means therefor which comprises the present invention, the section being taken substantially upon the line I-I of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view taken stantially upon the line A2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral I indicates a portion of a motor vehicle door, while a portion of the car body against which subthe free edge of the door closes is indicated by the numeral 2. l

'I'he inner and outer walls of the door are indicated respectively by the numerals 3 and l and each of these walls has formed therein a handle opening 5. 'Ihe handle openings 5 are preferably of substantially elongated rectangular contour, one end ofwhichopening is rounded as indicated at 8. Formed integral witheach wall of the door at the rounded portion 6 of each handle opening is a hood or shield 1 which is disposed within the area between the door walls as illustrated. 4

Within the openings I are the inner and outer handles 8 and 8 vrespectively which are in the form of plates of slightly less length than the openings 5 in which they position but of substantially the full width of the opening. Each handle plate is rounded at one end vas indicated at III and the rounded end is disposed vin spaced relation with `the rounded edge 8 of the opening in which the 10 handle is disposed.

For the sake of clearness and ease of description the rounded ends I8 of the handles will be referred to as the free or forward end, as each of the handles is pivotally mounted adjacent its 15 other end so that it may swing outwardly from the opening 5 in which it is disposed.

Each of the handles adjacent its free end has mounted upon its inner face` the handle bar II which, when the handle is in closed position, 20 locates in the adjacent hood 1.

Adjacent the end remote from the handle bar II, each handle carries the ears I2 which are adjacent the longitudinal edges thereof and conncting and passing through these ears is a pivot bolt I3'. At the top and bottom edge of each of the openings 5 there are secured to the adjacent walls the bearings I4 into which the pivot bolts I3 extend. The handles 8 and 9 are thus free to swing outwardly with respect to the adjacent walls in which they are mounted.

In order to retain each handle in its opening 5 each of the pivot bolts I3 is surrounded by a coil spring I5, one end of which is secured to an ear I2 while the other end is secured either to the adjacent bearing I4 or the adjacent wall. It will thus be seen that when the handle is swung outwardly the spring will be twisted and placed under tension so that when the handle is released the reactionary effect of the spring will swing the handle back t0 the position in which both handles are shown in Figure 1.

Each of the handles 8 and 9 adjacent its pivoted end has an integral finger I6 extending inwardly from its end edge. This finger operates to shift Aan adjacent bolt when the handle, of which it forms a part, is swung outwardly as will now be described.

Mounted upon suitable supporting and guide brackets I1 which are secured to the inner face of the door wall 4, is a reciprocable bolt I8. The

forward end of this bolt passes through an opening I9 in the free edge of the door, for engagement in the aperture 2U of the keeper plate 2I which issecured to the face of the door frame.

This free end of the boli is beveled in the usual 'manner as indicated at 22 so that the door will 9 constantly bears.

The bolt I3 is constantly urged outwardly by the leaf spring .24 which is mounted at one end in a suitable supporting bracket 2l which is secured to the inner face oi the wall 4 in the manner shown.

Secured to the inner face of the wall 4 are the vertically disposed aligned ears 2l which have their adjacent ends in spaced relation as shown in Figure 2. These ears form keeper members behindwhich the lugs 21 of a cylinder lock 23 engage when the lock is actuated to secure the handle and the door against movement. In the position in which the lugs 21 are illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 the handle 9 is free to swing to the position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 1. As will be seen from lthis gure when the handle 9 is swung outwardly to this position the integral nger portion I 3 will exert a force 'asainst the lug 2a which will shift the boit la rearwardly against the tension of the spring 24, thus permitting the door to be swung open. As soon as the handle 9 isreleased the spring will react to force the bolt forwardly and the lug 23 operating against the ilnger I3 will swingv the handle 9 back to closed position. This return movement of the handle 3 will be assisted and assured by the spring I5 which is placed under tension when the handle is swung outwardly. in the manner previously described.

'I'he handle 3 facilitates the unlatching of the door from the inside of the car and this unlatching of the door is effected through the medium of an auxiliary bolt 29. This auxiliary bolt is slidably mounted in suitable supporting brackets 3|I which are mounted upon the inner face of the inner wall 3.

The bolt 29 carries a lug 3l against which the finger portion I6 of the inner handle 3 normally bears and the end of this bolt which is nearest the free edge of the door bears against the lower end of a lever 32 which is mounted intermediate its ends upon the pivot pin 33 which in turnis supported by the wall 3. The upper end of this lever 32 engages the pin 34 which is carried by the bolt I3 so that when the auxillary bolt 29 is shifted forwardly by the swinging of the inner handle 3 it will engage the lower end of the lever 32 and oscillate the same so that the upper end swings rearwardly against the pin 34 and thus retracts the bolt. As will be seen the leaf spring 24 operates to return the bolt I3 to its normal position after either handle has been operated. As will be readily seen from Figure 3 the inner handle 3 is mounted in the same manner as the outer handle and has a spring I3 which is placed under tension when it is swung outwardly, to return it to folded or inoperative position.

By providing the auxiliary bolt 2l with the stop pin 35 which abuts the adjacent guide 33, the return movement of the auxiliary bolt 29 is limited and this in turn limits the forward movement `of the main bolt I8 under the urge of the spring 24.

From the foregoing it will be readily apparent that the present latch bolt operating handle will forman attractive addition to a car door and will at all times remain in a position ilush with the wall of the door so that all danger of catching the clothing thereon and of striking the handle in such a manner as to injure it or the mechanism with which it is connected, is avoided.

By the provision of the handle bars I'I upon the inner faces of the handles it will be readily apparent that in actuating either handle the nngers are inserted into the shields or hoods I and engaged behind the handle bars so that when the handles are swung outwardly a grip will be had thereon which will facilitate the pulling of the door to open or closed position.

While the same has not been illustrated it will be readily apparent that means may be readily provided for preventing the passage of rain water or moisture vfrom other sources into the interior of the door body between the handles and the edges of the openings in which they are located, as, for example, a rubber beading may be applied to the edge of the handle for contact with the edge of the opening when the handle is closed. Y

Having thus described the invention. what is claimed is:

1. Locking mechanism for a door, comprising a bolt reciprocably mounted in the door and having an end extending through an edge face thereof, resilient means normally urging the bolt in one direction, an auxiliary bolt mounted within the door and shlftable in a line parallel with the ilrst bolt, a plvotally mounted lever having one end engaging the first bolt and having its other end engaged by the auxiliary bolt, a handle carried by the body `of the door and mounted to swing on an axis extending transversely. of the bolt and normally extending parallel with the side face of the door and connecting means between the handle and the auxiliary bolt whereby the longitudinal movement of the latter will be eilected upon the swinging of the handle toward a position where it extends outwardly from said side face.

2. In a door structure, inner and outer walls having openings therein, a handle plate pivotally mounted in each opening, said plates being swingable in the same direction, means facilitating the grasping of said plates to swing the same outwardly, a bolt reciprocably mounted within the door to extend across one plate, coupling means between said bolt -andthe said one plate, a bar reciprocably mounted within the door to extend across the other plate, coupling means between said bar and the said other plate whereby the bar will be shifted by the said other plate in a direction opposite to the movement of the bolt by the plate coupled therewith, an elongated member pivotally mountedintermediate its ends within the door and having one end in opposed relation to an end of said bar, to be swung vby the bar in the movement of the latter by the plate coupled therewith, a pin carried by the bolt and engaged by the other end of the arm whereby movement ot the arm by the bar will effect the retraction of the bolt, and resilient means normally urging the bolt into operative po. iition and urging said pin against the adjacent arm.

3. In a door structure, inner and outer walls having openings therein, a handle plate pivotally mounted in each opening, said plates being swingable in the same direction, means facilitating the grasping of said plates to swing the same outwardly. a bolt reciprocably mounted within the door to vextend across one plate, coupling means between said bolt and the said one plate,

a bar reciprocably mounted within the door to extend across the other plate, coupling means between said bar and the said other plate whereby the bar will be shifted by the said other plate in a direction opposite to the movement of the bolt by the plate coupled therewith, an elongated member pivotally mounted intermediate its ends within the door and having one end in opposed relation to an end of said bar, to be swung by the bar in the movement of the latter by the plate coupled therewith, a pin carried by the bolt and engaged by the other end of the arm whereby movement of the arm by the bar will eiect the retraction of the bolt,

and a leaf spring secured at one end within the door body and having its other end coupled with said bolt and normally urging the same in the opposite direction to which it is moved by the plate coupled therewith and normally urging the pin against said arm to urge the bar in a direction opposite to its direction of movement by the plate with which it is connected.

4. In a door, side walls each having a horizontally disposed elongated opening therein, outwardly opening shells disposed within the door body and connected with remote end edges of said openings, an elongated handle plate in each opening pivotally attached at the end remote from the shell-like body and having the opposite end terminating short of the adjacent end of the opening whereby the iingers may be inserted behind the plate into the shell-like body, a finger bar disposed transversely of Ieach plate in a position to be normally housed in the adjacent shelllike body, said handle plates being mounted to swing in the same direction, a bolt reciprocably -mounted within the body of the door, and mechanism coupling the handle plates with said bolt whereby the swinging of either will eilect the retraction of the bolt.

WALTER B. CRAFT. 

